Species: Silene antirrhina L.

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Silene antirrhina L.

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Caryophyllaceae

Genus:

Silene

Species Synonyms:

Silene antirrhina var. confinis Fern.
Silene antirrhina var. depauperata Rydb.
Silene antirrhina var. divaricata B.L. Robins.
Silene antirrhina var. laevigata Engelm. & Gray
Silene antirrhina var. subglaber Engelm. & Gray
Silene antirrhina var. vaccarifolia Rydb.

Common Names:

sleepy catchfly
catchfly
sleepy campion
sleepy silene

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

southern British Columbia, northeastern Alberta - northwestern Saskatchewan, east-central Saskatchewan - Ontario - Quebec - New Brunswick

Saskatchewan:

northwestern and east-central Saskatchewan; Lake Athabasca, Amisk Lake - Souris River Valley

Ecoregion:

Moist Mixed Grassland, Mid-Boreal Lowland, Tazin River Upland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

sandy meadows and rocky outcrops

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Threatened

Nature Conservancy Status:

G5 S1S2

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Sleepy catchfly is threatened because it is uncommon in the province and occurs in two disjunct regions. Most local populations are small. No immediate threats have been identified for this species.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

10 – 80 cm

Roots:

taproot slender

Stems:

annual, erect, simple or few-branched, usually forked above, slender, greenish, shiny, hairless, lightly hairy above; internodes, at least upper, with a broad sticky, purplish-black band

Leaves:

basal leaves 1 – 6 cm long, 2 – 10 mm wide, spoon-shaped; stem leaves opposite, sessile, erect to ascending, 5 – 10 pairs, 1 – 5 cm long, 1 – 10 mm wide tip acute, hairy-margined near base

Inflorescence:

few to many-flowered, forked; stalks 4 – 25 mm long, slender, stiffly erect to ascending; bracts small, leafy

Flowers:

sepals 4 – 10 mm long, tubular, teeth short and triangular, 5 – 10-nerved, hairless, green with purple tips, hairy-margined near base; petals slightly shorter or longer than sepals, white to pink; stamens included

Fruits:

capsule 3-locular, 6-toothed, about equalling sepals; seeds brownish or greyish black, bumpy

*KEY TO SILENE* IN SASKATCHEWAN**

1 Sepals more or less hairless, if at all hairy, not glandular	2
1 Sepals hairy, may be glandular	6

2 Plants cushion-forming; leaves to 1.5 cm long, linear, densely crowded and hairy margined; flowers purple or lavender	S. acaulis var. exscapa
2 Plants not cushion-forming; leaves not as above; flowers white or pink	3

3 Petals pinkish; stem with sticky bands	S. antirrhina
3 Petals white; stem without sticky bands	4

4 Sepals 4 – 5 mm long, 10-nerved	S. sibirica
4 Sepals 8 – 12 mm long, 20-nerved, at least at base	5

5 Sepals inflated at maturity, 20-nerved, nerves connected entire length by a network of veinlets, not constricted at mouth, papery textured; inflorescence open	S. vulgaris
5 Sepals not inflated at maturity, 20-nerved, 10 long nerves, 10 short, veinlets hardly forming a network, sepals constricted at mouth, firm textured; inflorescence narrow	S. cserei

6 Styles 3; capsule opening by 6 teeth	7
6 Styles 5 (4); capsule opening by 5 or 10 teeth	9

7 Sepal nerves 20 – 30	S. conoidea
7 Sepal nerves 10	8

8 Sepals 15 – 30 mm long; petal claws > 12 mm	S. noctiflora
8 Sepals 5 – 8 mm long; petal claws 6 – 10 mm long	S. menziesii var. menziesii

9 Sepals 5 – 8 mm long; stems generally branched, lax	S. menziesii var. menziesii
9 Sepals > 1 cm; stems branched or unbranched, erect	10

10 Plants with unisexual flowers on different plants	S. pratensis
10 Plants bisexual or with unisexual flowers on the same plant	S. drummondii var. drummondii